FONT

SHARE THIS

MORE STORIES

Washington wraps up Thorns, 1-0

Portland slips to 1-2-2 on the road in 2017 NWSL season; goal in 19th minute is the difference for Spirit

The Washington Spirit took the well, ahem, spirit out of the Portland Thorns on Saturday.

The Thorns gave up a goal in the 19th minute and managed only three shots on goal in a 1-0 National Women's Soccer League road loss.

Forward Christine Sinclair made her 70th start for Portland and had two shots on target. Forward Nadia Nadim, a second-half sub for first-time starter Ashleigh Sykes, had a couple of possible chances late. And the Thorns got eight corner kicks out of their attempts to push forward for an equalizer.

But the Spirit were never seriously threatened before their crowd of 4,319.

The goal came at the end of a counterattack by forward Francisco Ordega, as Washington forced Portland's Adrianna Franch to make five saves, two from point-blank range, despite having only 38.3 percent of the possession.

Washington, eighth in the 10-team NWSL, improved to 3-5-2 (11 points) with its upset of the Thorns, who fell to 4-3-3 (15).